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10/25/11

Ride In 10/25

I love my street. I think it's the best street in the neighborhood. I love it so much that when I go outside in the morning to leave, I tend to think that it's nicer and warmer than it actually is and I don't wear my jacket and by the time I turn the corner, I realize that it's not nearly as pleasant as I thought and that my arms are cold and that I really made a mistake in sticking with short sleeves. But, when you catch successive green lights, which is a rarity, you don't want to stop just because you're cold. So you wait until you get a red and then you pull over at a bus stop and get your jacket out of your bag (this time of year, always carry a jacket. And a hat and gloves. Also, always pack your bag the night before because you don't want to, for the second day in a row, forget to pack your belt. dark mornings=even more forgetful than usual) and then a bus might pull up behind you, but it's cool and the bus driver doesn't get mad or anything.
I rode through the Capitol grounds for the first time. Good rule of thumb is, even when you don't know exactly which way to go, just ride towards where you see cars. Odds are that if someone was able to drive there, you'll probably be able to bike there. And by the Capitol, you'll see lots of cars, but please do not attempt to count them because of national security. Turns out it wasn't hard to navigate at all and I'll probably start riding through daily.
Six of us in a line on the Pennsylvania Avenue bike lane. All white males.
I was informed last night by L, founding (?) member of the Sharrows Road Team (something I just made up, but it can be a real thing if you want. No, I don't know what it does or why you'd want to be in it) that the Madison Place security checkpoint remained untaped and I was curious to see if it was still the case this morning. It was still the case and I rode through, this time without even asking permission. I went slowly and even still my pannier brushed against one of the security bollards. Please do be careful if you do the same. There's enough space to ride in between, but you don't want to miss. I don't know if DDOT's inquiry into the matter provided any impetus to remove the tape (or, even more delusionally, if it was anything written on this blog) or if budgetary constraints has prevented them from ordering a new roll or if it's just a total coincidence, but I'm grateful in either case. Let's see how long it keeps up (or, more properly, not up). To do my part, I promise that I'll stop tweaking the state security apparatus, perhaps by not continuing to call them the state security apparatus.
I amazed at the willingness of some bicycle riders to chance it on yellow and just-turned red lights. I watched a guy on a CaBi ride through after the light changed at Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Doesn't he know that there's a guy who drives through that intersection distracted by the beat of his own maracas? Or more likely to cause him harm, a line of three taxis waiting to turn left to pick up fares at the hotel? Jumping a red and running a red are two entirely different things. Relatedly, I thought this was interesting and mostly on point.Mopeds aren't are allowed in bike lanes. I didn't know that til just now, so I take back all the mean things I was thinking about that lady. Sorry. (There goes that whole bit. Looks like this post will be one picture and one rant-laden paragraph shorter today) So, to fill the space, let's talk about who our favorite Late Antique 'barbarians' were. I liked the Alans. You?
Half way up Massachusetts, there was a woman dismounted with her bike resting along a tree. I asked if she was ok and she smiled and just said she was taking a rest. I don't blame her. I think someone could make some coin with a churro stand opposite the Observatory, but I also tend the overvalue the desirability of churros, much less the regulatory hurdles that one must clear to open that stand. Though there are far better locations for a pop-up churreria, including pretty much everywhere else.

5 comments:

Link was interesting, but as a bicyclist who's also a motorist I take issue with the assertion that every driver rolls through stop signs. I do not. Ever. That doesn't really weaken the very good point that cyclists shouldn't be expected to come to a complete stop at every single stop sign, but it makes me wince. Many drivers do this, but not all of them. Let's be credible.

@BW: I appreciate your nuance and objectivity, but this is the internet and all comments must be in every way categorical and, if possible, inflammatory. I think the "all" that the author is using is the usual "all" which means "many" and "in a lot of situations." I think that arguments about bicycle best practices should, as a rule, be less grounded in comparative law breaking and stand on their own merits.